Anderson



A. ANDERSON Feb. 7, 1956 FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDINGMACHINES Filed Sept.

A. ANDERSON Feb. 7. 1956 FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDINGMACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1954 A. ANDERSON Feb. 7, 1956FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Sept. 29, 1954 fiz/erzior. I W MM,

fill/III] l livll'Illl-IIIIII A. ANDERSON Feb. 7. 1956 FEEDINGATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MACHINES Filed sept. 29, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMATICSHEET FEEDING MACHINES Alfred Anderson, Elmhurst, Ill.

Application September 29, 1954, Serial No. 459,050

12 Claims. (Cl. 271-) example), one piece at a time, into a machine forprinting or other work thereon. At the present time there are a greatmany articles, differing greatly in size and other characteristics,which may be handled to advantage in this manner, provided that there bemade available a feeding mechanism which may be easily adjusted to suitthe varying conditions encountered in initiating the movements of thesewidely different sheets or sheet-like pieces.

The object of the present invention is to create such a feedingmechanism which shall materially lengthen the list of articles that maybe handled by an automatic feeding machine and which shall also givebetter results in the case of some articles already being handled insuch machines.

In my aforesaid machine the stock is initially placed in a magazinehaving a forwardly and downwardly inclined bottom; a group of sheets orother sheet-like articles being fanned out and set into the hagazine atan angle to and having their forward edges resting on the magazinebottom. Thus the article that would be uppermost in a simple stackwherein the article is horizontal becomes the forward or leadingarticle. The forward edge of which ever article is in the lead entersthe bite between a first, intermittently driven friction roller and anunderlying, stationary retard roller, whereby that article is movedahead to a pair of main or pull-out rollers. As one article afteranother is detached and carried away the remainder of the stock slidesdown to present new articles to be gripped.

I have found that the addition of a second friction feed roller thatcontacts the work in advance of the first such roller and moves inunison with the latter gives good results in the case of some articlescommonly handled in the machine. However, the beneficial effect of thisadded roller is not sufficiently far reaching and, sometimes thepresence of such an intermittently driven roller may even beobjectionable.

Considered in one of its aspects the present invention may be said tohave for its object to provide means to utilize said second frictionfeed roller in such a way that, through simple adjustments, it may beused as an intermittently driven roller or as an idle roller contactingthe stock, or it may be used as a mere stop.

In actual practice I mount and drive said second friction feed rollerfor automatic bodily movements toward and from stock in the magazine.This jars or vibrates the stock and makes the individual articles movemore freely and certainly into the article gripping Zone.

Therefore, viewed in a further aspect, the present invention may be saidto have for its object to provide simple and novel means to jar orvibrate, and thus loosen, a group of sheet-like articles that must slideby gravity into a zone where they are gripped and carried away one at atime.

The various features of novelty whereby the present invention ischaracterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in theclaims; but, for a full understanding of the invention and of itsobjects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sheet feeding machine to whichmechanism embodying the present invention has been added as anattachment.

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the side of the machine which is at the topin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section, on a larger scale, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section, on a large scale, on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, vertical section through the machine.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5, showing only a fragment of theapparatus, with some of the parts in different positions than thoseoccupied in the latter figure.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6, except that the roller driven by onefriction feed roller and adapted to drive a second such roller is in anidle position, and the magazine is shown empty.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view showing the opposite side of the machinefrom that appearing in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 consists of a face view and two edge views of one of two similarplates which serve as a swinging support for two of the rollers.

Fig. 10 consists of a side view and an edge view of a bar forming partof a connecting rod shown attached to one of the plates, appearing inFig. 9, in some of the main views.

Fig. 11 consists of a side view and an edge view of the second barwhich, with the bar appearing in Fig. 10, constitutes a connecting rod.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the aforesaid connecting rod, with its two barelements standing at an angle to each other, the shaft to which one endof the rod is adapted to be attached being shown in section, and afragment of the swinging support being shown still attached to one ofthe bars.

Fig. 13 consists of a side view and an edge view of a strut to which isconnected one end of a rod forming a guide for the spring that acts onthe swinging support.

For the sake of brevity the word sheets will be used hereinafter in thespecification and claims to designate, not only individual pieces of asingle thickness, but also flattened cartons, envelopes, pamphlets andfolded newspapers of medium thicknesses.

Since much of the apparatus illustrated comprises simply the machinedisclosed in my aforesaid application, modified only as to the form ofsome of its elements, this part of the apparatus will be describedbriefly before any discussion of the features constituting the presentinvention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a frame adapted to be attachedto a machine 2 which is to receive sheets, one at a time, and print ordo other work thereon. Mounted on top of the frame at the end remotefrom machine 2 is a magazine 3 having a downwardly and forwardlyinclined bottom 4.. Between the magazine and machine 2 is a horizontaltable 5; there being a considerable space between the magazine and thenear end of the table; and the table being well below the magazine. Thetable is disposed between two vertical walls 6 and 7, rising above theframe, and it supports endless conveyor belts 8. Between the table andthe magazine are two horizontal pull-out rollers 9 and 10, one above theother, the bite or line of 3 contact between them being at or a littleabove the plane of the table. Rails 11 form a forward and downwardcontinuation of the magazine bottom and terminate close to the bitebetween the pull-out rollers. A stationary retard roller 12, parallel torollers 9 and 1t), protrudes somewhat above the plane of the rails.Above the retard roller is a cooperating friction feed roller 14.

The conveyor belts and the pull-out rollers are driven by a shaft 15through sprocket chain 16; this shaft being driven by a motor (notshown) through a belt 17.

Feed roller 14 is driven in definite time relation with the operation ofmachine 2; a shaft 18, well below the roller, being turnedintermittently by a connecting rod 19 attached at one end to a crank 20on this shaft, while its other end is connected to a crank pin 21 onmachine 2. Roller 14 is driven by shaft 18 through a sprocket chaindrive 22.

Shaft 18 also drives the jogger 24. This is not of importance exceptthat rocker arm 25 (see Fig. 2) which oscillates the jogger-operatingcam 26, also drives the attachment which constitutes the presentinvention.

The attachment embodying the new features will now be described.

The first element in the new attachment is a second friction feed roller27 for engaging with the sheets at a substantial distance from theadvance edges that engage roller 14 at the bite between the same and theretard roller. Roller 27 is mounted between two diamond shaped plates 23and 29, that form the body of a swinging support member for rollers.Each of these plates contains at one end a laterally projecting hub 30fitting and rotatable on shaft 31 on which roller 14 is mounted forrotation therewith. At corresponding corners, about midway between theends of the plates, are small holes 32 that register with the ends of acombined spacer and shaft 33 arranged between the plates. This shaft andthe plates are rigidly secured together by cap screws 33 passing throughholes 32 into the ends of the shaft. Roller 27 is rotatably mounted onthis shaft. Each plate contains a second, small hole 34 at the secondend of the plate. In each plate, near the corner opposite hole 32, is aninverted V slot 35. A shaft 23, longer than shaft 33, extends looselythrough these slots and supports a small driver roller 36, extendingbetween the two plates. When shaft 23 is in the ends of the slotsnearest roller 27, roller 36 contacts both that roller and roller 14.When this shaft is at the other ends of the slots, roller 36 does notcontact either of the other two rollers and roller 27 becomes an idler.Each plate has at one edge, below hole 32, a laterally projecting ear37. A tension spring 38 extends from each of these ears to thecorresponding ends of shaft 23. The parts are so proportioned that thesesprings hold roller 36 in which ever position it may be set. i

The swinging unit, consisting of plates 28 and 29 and rollers 27 and 36,may be rocked to carry roller 27 from a lower position well down in thefront of the end of the magazine to an upper position where it protrudesabove the top of the magazine and is farther forward.

Means are provided to oscillate the feed unit in definite time relationto the intermittent movements of feed roller 14. To this end I provide atransverse rock shaft 39 mounted at its ends in ears 40 rising from sidewalls 6 and 7, somewhat forwardly from shaft 31 that supports theswinging feed unit. Shaft 39 has at each end a radial arm 41 extendingupwardly therefrom. A second, bodily movable, transverse shaft 42 spansthe distance between these arms and is secured to the same near theirfree ends. A suitable connecting rod 44 couples shaft 42 to one of theplates in the swinging feed roller unit. This rod, as best shown inFigs. 10 to 12, is composed of two thin, flat bars, 45 and 46. Bar 45has in the top, near one end, a notch 47 as wide as the diameter ofshaft and preferably a little deeper. The inner side of this bar is cutaway to a depth equal to the thickness of plate 28 or 29, and isprovided with a short pin 48 protruding from the bottom of the recess soformed. Bar 46 has in the under edge, near one end, a notch 50 similarto notch 47. At the middle of each bar is a hole, hole 51 in bar 45being a smooth bore while hole 52 in bar 46 is screw threaded. A screw54, extending through hole 51 into hole 52, serves to clamp the two barstogether.

With the parts of the connecting rod in the relative posi' tionsillustrated in Fig. 12, the tip of plate 28 can be set into recess 49,with pin 48 entered in hole 34. The connecting rod may then be broughtinto a position that places shaft 42 between the notches 47 and 50; and,upon swinging the two bars into parallelism with each other, the saidnotches form a closed bearing for the shaft. Upon tightening screw 54the two bars are clamped together into a single rigid unit which mayswing on the shaft.

Rock shaft 39 is operated through a connection with rocker arm 25 whichmoves the cam 26 that controls jogger 24. This is best illustrated inFigs. 2 and 3. It will be seen that the nut 55 on the bolt 56 thatsecures the actuating rod 57 to rocker arm 25 constitutes also a bearingfor a block 58; the nut itself having thereon a head 59 that keeps theblocks from falling off. This block contains a bore 60 extending throughthe length of the block. On the end of rock shaft 39 is a radial arm 61.A rod 62 is connected at one end to this arm and extends slidablythrough bore 60. On the rod is a loose collar 64 provided with a setscrew 65 to secure it at any desired point along the rod. The rodpreferably has a flattened side 66 with which the set screw engages andwhich marks the limits of the distance through which adjustments may bemade.

Block 58 having a definite range of movements, it is apparent that theangle through which the rock shaft will be driven depends on thelocation of the collar along the rod.

Rock shaft 39 drives the swinging support for rollers 27 and 36 in onedirection only, namely forwardly to retract the rollers. Resilient meansare provided to drive said support in the direction, rearward, tocontact stock in the magazine.

Such resilient means includes a long rod 67 that extends slidablythrough a block 68 that projects laterally from the upper end of plate29. As best shown in Fig. 4, this block has at one end a hub 69terminating in a part 69 of reduced diameter, which extends into and isrotatable in hole 34 in the plate, and a screw 70. Upon applying a nutto the screw, the block is secured to the plate so as to be oscillatorythereon. The block may be locked to the rod, in any desired positionlengthwise of the latter, by a set screw 71. On the upper end of the rodis a head 72, while the lower end is hinged to a stationary strut 74.This strut, as best shown in Fig. 13, is a plate standing on edge thathas in the same, near one end a hole of the same diameter as theexternal diameters of hubs 30 on plates 28 and 29. In the end edge, atthe opposite end of the strut, in the end edge, is a notch 76. Hub 30 onplate 28 extends through hole 75 and is rotatable therein, and isprevented from coming out by a collar 30 on the hub outwardly from plate74. Notch 76 forms simply a seat loosely engaging shaft 39. Plate 74contains a small hole 78 at a substantial distance above the notch. Apart 79 on the lower end of rod 67 is connected to plate 74 at thislatter hole for swinging movements. Surrounding rod 67 is a compressionspring 80, one end of which bears against block 68 and the other endagainst part 79.

It is desirable that the entire friction unit be readily adjustable,bodily, crosswise of the machine. This is readily accomplished by usingroller 14 to lock itself and the entire unit against lateral movements.As best shown in Fig. 5, this roller has a hub 81 provided with a setscrew 82 for locking the same to shaft 31. With roller 14 lying betweenplates 28 and 29, the entire friction feed unit is held in place so longas roller is fast on the shaft. By loosening the set screw the entireunit. including the strut 74, may be shifted laterally in eitherdirection into any desired new position. After the adjustment has beenmade one need only tighten set screw 82 again to ready the machine forfurther normal operation.

In the operation of the apparatus, with the parts connected as in Fig.5, the first friction feed roller 14 functions precisely as in my saidprior machine. The second friction feed roller 27 is oscillated betweena position in which it assists roller 14 and a retracted position. Thedistance through which such retraction takes place depends on theposition of collar 64 on rod 62. Except while being retracted, roller 27is being yieldingly pressed toward or against the stock in the magazine.As this roller strikes the stock, it jars or vibrates the same, therebymaking certain of a proper down flow of the sheets in the magazine.

For some work the maximum effort of both the rollers 14 and 27 is highlydesirable as, for example, very small and very large cartons in aflattened state. On the other hand, with medium sized cartons roller 27may be used simply for its jarring efifect, drive roller 36 beingshifted into its idle position as shown in Fig. 7; so that roller 27 isno longer positively rotated. In some instances, the jarring action maybe eliminated by taking off connecting rod 44, while leaving roller 36in its working position. In other instances roller 27 may be employedsimply as an idler, yieldingly held at all times in stock-engagingposition; this being the setting in Fig. 7. Again, the settings may beas shown in Fig. 7, except that rod 67 is locked to plate 29 through atightening of set screw 71; thus holding roller 27 at any point withinits range of bodily movements and permitting it to function simply as astop. Such a setting is advantageous in feeding lengthwise #l0envelopes. In the absence of roller 27, the trailing ends of theenvelopes tend to spring up. With this roller present, properly set toform a stop, smooth feeding of these envelopes results. The user of theapparatus quickly learns what setting is needed for any given stock.

Except as heretofore explained, the operation of the apparatus is thesame as in my said prior machine; the user fanning out a group of sheetsS and setting them into the magazine as shown in Fig. 5.

The apparatus is then operated in the same way as was my prior machine,the attendant from time to time preparing further groups of sheets andplacing them behind what is left of the preceding group.

I claim:

1. The combination with a sheet feeding machine in cluding a magazinefor holding a group of sheets, conveyor means in front of the magazineincluding rotary pull-out rollers arranged one above the other a shortdistance from the magazine, a stationary retard roller and a cooperatingfirst rotary friction feed roller above said retard roller positionedbetween the pull-out rollers and the magazine to receive individualsheets moving forwardly out of the magazine and move them to the pulloutrollers, and means to drive the first friction feed roller: of a supportmember mounted to project upwardly from and swing about the axis of saidfirst friction feed roller, a second friction feed roller mounted onsaid support member parallel to and spaced apart from said firstfriction feed roller, a driving roller mounted on said support memberbetween and in frictional contact with both of said friction feedrollers to cause said first one to drive said second one, and automaticmeans to oscillate said support to carry the said second friction feedroller from and toward the magazine.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein means are provided onthe swinging support member to shift the drive roller bodily out ofengagement with at least one of said friction feed rollers.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, having in addition, means tooperate said first friction feed roller intermittently and wherein thereis a connection between such means and the said support member tooperate the latter in unison with that roller.

4. The combination with a sheet feeding machine including a magazine forholding a group of sheets, conveyor means in front of the magazineincluding rotary pull-out rollers arranged one above the other a shortdistance from the magazine, a retard roller and a cooperating firstrotary friction feed roller above said retard roller positioned betweenthe pull-out rollers and the magazine to receive individual sheetsmoving forwardly out of the magazine and move them to the pull-outrollers, and means to drive the first friction feed roller: of a supportmember mounted to project upwardly from and swing about the axis of saidfirst friction feed roller, a second friction feed roller mounted onsaid support member parallel to and spaced apart from said firstfriction feed roller, a driving roller mounted on said support memberbetween and in frictional contact with both of said friction feedrollers to cause said first one to drive said second one, a transverseshaft, a driving connection between said means for driving the firstfriction feed roller and said shaft to move the latter toward and fromsaid magazine, and a connection between said shaft and said supportmember to shift the latter and cause said second friction feed roller tomove into and out of engagement with stock in the magazine.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the connection fordriving the transverse shaft contains means to vary the distance throughwhich that shaft moves.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4, wherein the connection betweenthe transverse shaft and the support member is a connecting rod providedat its ends with means for quickly attaching and detaching the same withrespect to the shaft and support member.

7. In a sheet feeding apparatus, a magazine for holding a group ofsheets, a conveyor means, mechanism including a first friction feedroller rotatable about a stationary axis to deliver said sheets, one ata time, to said conveyor means, a support member mounted to swing aboutthe axis of the aforesaid feed roller, a second friction feed rollermounted on said support member in position to move into contact with andaway from the sheets in the magazine when such member swings back andforth, means on the support to transmit power from the first frictionfeed roller to the second friction feed roller to cause the latter torotate, a drive connected to the first friction roller to rotate itintermittently, and a connection between said drive and said supportmember to swing the same as aforesaid.

8. A sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein theconnection between said drive and the support member includes atransverse shaft movable bodily back and forth at right angles to itsaxis and also a connecting rod attached at its ends to the shaft and tosaid support member, respectively.

9. A feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the connectionbetween said drive and said support member includes a reciprocatingmember, a rock shaft, an element connected to the rock shaft andslidably mounted on said reciprocating member, together with a shoulderon and adjustable along said reciprocating member into positions tocontact said element at any one of various points in a stroke in onedirection of that member.

10. A feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the connectionbetween said drive and said support member includes a rock shaft and aconnecting rod extending from an element on said rock shaft to saidsupport member; and wherein the connecting rod comprises two barsarranged side by side and pivotally connected at the middle, one barhaving near one end a downwardly facing notch, and the corresponding endof the other bar having an upwardly facing notch, the notches beingshaped to form a closed bearing seat for said element when the bars areparallel, and means at the other ends of the bars to form a pivotalconnection with said support member.

11. A feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the pivotalconnection between the connecting rod and the support member comprises anotch in one end of the connecting rod to form a jaw within which a parton the support element is seated, the notch lying wholly in one of thebars and having a small opening leading therefrom to the outer side ofthe bar, a pin on said part on the support in position to fit into saidopening, and the pivotal connection between the bars being a screwdevice which clamps the bars together and, when loosened, allowsrelative swinging movements between the bars to free them from both saidsupport member and said elements on the rock shaft.

12. In a sheet feeding apparatus, a magazine for holding a group ofsheets, a conveyor means, mechanism including a first friction feedroller rotatable about a stationary axis to deliver said sheets, one ata time, to the conveyor means, a support member mounted to swing aboutthe axis of the aforesaid friction feed roller, a second friction feedroller mounted on the support in position to swing bodily into contactwith and away from the sheets in the magazine when said support memberoscillates, a drive connected to the first friction feed roller torotate it intermittently, and a connection between the said drive andsaid support member to move the latter in the direction to carry thesaid second friction feed roller away from the sheets in the magazine,and means yieldingly urging said support member in the direction tocause the latter to engage the sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

